Heretofore, came has been cut using a hand-held lead knife pushed through the lead. This method almost always distorts or flattens came, requiring further work to re-straighten the came after cutting. Other methods include standard cutting tools, such as power band saws. This is not practical, except in production, where a large number of pieces of each length are to be cut. Any high-speed saw-type tool also produces lead dust that is a severe health hazard. The larger cutting tools are less portable and cannot be used directly on the assembly table for doing leaded-glass work.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clean cut of soft ductile materials such as came or the like so that rework is eliminated.
Another object of the invention is to provide a small lightweight portable cutter that can be used where needed, close to the work.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cutting tool that produces no powder, chips, or debris, in order to eliminate possible health hazards.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a cutting tool that automatically produces a right-angle or 90.degree. cut, with respect to the base.
An even further object of the invention is to provide a cutting tool that is extremely fast and convenient, compared to apparatus employed heretofore for cutting soft ductile materials.